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If you’re anything like me, you probably don’t drink enough water. Or you’re bored with the almost-nothing taste of water. Luckily, for both of us, there might be a solution: infused water. Water infusion is when you put fruits, vegetables, or herbs into your water, then you let it sit for a few hours or overnight. The longer you allow the fruit-flavor to diffuse, the stronger the flavor.

And if you’re someone who prefers hot drinks over cold drinks (or vice versa), you can make infused water hot or cold. Typically, infused water is a cold drink, but making it a hot drink could be nice now that cold weather is upon us. For all you know, it could become your new winter drink!

How to Make Infused Water

You can make infused water a few different ways: in a pitcher, mason jar, or infuser bottle. It really depends on what you have available, and how much you want to make at one time.

Another thing to keep in mind is that vegetables and fruits have seasons. You’ll want to have an idea regarding which fruits and vegetables are in season so the taste is better and the freshness is of higher quality.

Here are some of the most popular water infusion combinations: (all of these servings are for a gallon-sized container–smaller portions will be needed for bottles)

  1. Cucumber Mint: slice one cucumber, and crush about eight mint leaves. Let this sit for at least four hours or overnight
  2. Blueberry Citrus: slice up one to two oranges and one cup of blueberries. Let this sit for at least four hours or overnight
  3. Strawberry Lemon: add fifteen strawberries and one full sliced lemon to the water. Let this sit for least four hours or overnight
  4. Grapefruit Raspberry: slice one grapefruit and add half of a cup of raspberries. Let this sit for at least five hours
  5. Watermelon Basil: add two cups of chopped watermelon and fifteen crushed basil leaves. Let this sit for at least five hours

Benefits

  • Better flavor
  • Less sugar
  • Hydration for your body, more specifically, your skin
  • Boosts your metabolism
  • Less daytime fatigue

Written by GUADS staff member Toni with contributions from www.aquavida.com and www.wellnessmama.com